Amanda's House

  Perhaps you’ve seen individuals in our community facing addictions. Addiction leads to dysfunction in our personal lives, familie,s and communities. 

This is where the blessing of Amanda’s House, a ministry of Hope United, stands in the gap to bring healing to our community. It’s quite incredible what an encounter with Jesus will do for a restless soul. Amy, instrumental in the opening of Amanda’s House, tells of a dysfunctional home life where drug abuse infiltrated multiple generations of her family. She was in jail, staring at a lengthy prison sentence due to felony drug charges. But she was given an opportunity to enter a recovery program where she encountered Jesus. Amy found freedom from a drug addiction over a decade ago. As she became stronger in her recovery, God gave her a vision of a safe place where others could find the same freedom she experienced. Because of the dream God laid on Amy’s heart, Amanda’s House was birthed. And, because of the ministry of Amanda’s House, a ripple effect of family members finding freedom from addiction and experiencing lasting peace has and continues to take place. Amanda’s House provides a place of safety for the women as they acclimate to a sober lifestyle. They are taught the value of true, healthy relationships, which affects families in positive ways. 

The same dysfunction that was found in Amy’s family was also present in Tiffany’s, niece to Amy. She describes her prior life as lacking knowing who she was and feeling so very lost and broken. A transient home life caused Tiffany to be in and out of several schools throughout her childhood years. She turned to drugs to numb the pain and was looking at prison time, but God intervened. She encountered Jesus and felt Him say to her, “I have chosen you and have a purpose for you.” She tells of her baptism story and says she came up out of the water so willing and wanting to know Jesus. She now feels comfortable in her own skin. 

An encounter with Jesus changes EVERYTHING. The sick are made well, the captives are freed, and dysfunction is turned to restoration. In the Gospel of Mark, Chapter 5, a man with an impure spirit encounters Jesus. Jesus commands the spirit to leave and it does. A man once bound by chains and controlled by an impure spirit is transformed at the command of Christ. At the end of the story, Jesus was readying to leave the area. The now healed man begged to go with Him after experiencing such freedom. But Jesus said to him, “Go home to your own people and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.” So, he did and all the people were amazed! 

Amy and Tiffany are sharing what the Lord has done for them, too. When Tiffany was asked what encouragement she would give to someone struggling with addiction, her response was, “There is hope in every situation. Jesus finds us and forgives us of our sins. Owning our stories can be hard, but not nearly as hard as spending a lifetime running from Him.” These women won’t stop telling of all God has done for them! May our families and our communities see and hear about the hope that unites us. And, may we all be transformed and experience the freedom Christ provides.

Kara’s journey is one of profound loss, redemption, and renewal. After struggling with meth addiction, she was incarcerated at 40 and faced isolation from her family. In jail, fear of homelessness gripped her—until, just days before her release, she was accepted into Amanda’s House, a faith-based recovery program.

During her time here, she rekindled her faith, found emotional support, and experienced safety for the first time in decades. The program’s extended structure allowed her to build stability and a strong support network. Volunteer opportunities helped her connect with her new community.

Now, Kara works full-time and shares her experiences as a facilitator for Getting Ahead classes through Hope United. She’s living proof of restoration and the power of faith in rebuilding a life. Hope United continues its mission to support individuals like Kara, standing in the gap to bring healing through Jesus Christ.